Saada

Meet Saada Ahmed, the Kenya-born, Atlanta-raised entrepreneur with an unquenchable drive to speak up and stand up for what she believes in.

There are two types of people in the world: those who can show up for a 9am call time looking as if they’ve just emerged from a months-long sabbatical in the Maldives, and—well, everyone else. And Saada Ahmed is clearly of the former school. Co-founder and host of Everyday People, a monthly brunch party featuring music and dancing and based in New York City, Saada is the type of girl who radiates a warm, contagious energy. Put differently: if a great smile can light up a room, then Saada may very well be able to power the entire East Coast.

We took Saada and some of our favorite Spring pieces around the neighborhood on our morning coffee run.

“I consider the women in my life my real-life heroes—they constantly lift my spirits and teach me their wisdom. And that includes my mom. An immigrant coming to America as a single parent is quite courageous and selfless.”

“I feel most confident when I’m able to help others or give others opportunities. I know it’s a cliché, but I always try to treat others the way I want to be treated. I just think about what helped me get to where I am today; when I moved to NYC, I didn’t know anyone—to secure an internship was even a struggle. One person’s helping hand ended up giving me the confidence to pursue my goals, and I hope I can do that for someone else.”

“My favorite subject in school was always history. I believe if you don’t know your history, you’re bound to repeat it. I love to collect vintage magazines—like Ebony, Essence, Sepia, and Jet from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s—and reading them, it’s interesting to see that the problems in society back then are problems that we still face today. On a lighter note, the fashion in the magazines are amazing.”

“To me, freedom means living without fear. Most people don’t know this about me, but I actually have social anxiety—despite the fact that part of my job entails throwing parties.”